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<h1><a name="SECTION00321200000000000000000">
30.12 <tt class="module">distutils</tt> --
         Building and installing Python modules</a>
</h1>

<p>
<a name="module-distutils"></a>

<p>
The <tt class="module">distutils</tt> package provides support for building and
installing additional modules into a Python installation.  The new
modules may be either 100%-pure Python, or may be extension modules
written in C, or may be collections of Python packages which include
modules coded in both Python and C.

<p>
This package is discussed in two separate documents which are included
in the Python documentation package.  To learn about distributing new
modules using the <tt class="module">distutils</tt> facilities, read
<em class="citetitle"><a
 href="../dist/dist.html"
 title="Distributing Python Modules"
 >Distributing Python Modules</a></em>; this
includes documentation needed to extend distutils.  To learn
about installing Python modules, whether or not the author made use of
the <tt class="module">distutils</tt> package, read
<em class="citetitle"><a
 href="../inst/inst.html"
 title="Installing Python Modules"
 >Installing Python Modules</a></em>.

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<div class="seealso">
  <p class="heading">See Also:</p>

  <dl compact="compact" class="seetitle">
    <dt><em class="citetitle"><a href="../dist/dist.html"
        >Distributing Python Modules</a></em></dt>
    <dd>The manual
            for developers and packagers of Python modules.  This
            describes how to prepare <tt class="module">distutils</tt>-based packages
            so that they may be easily installed into an existing
            Python installation.</dd>
  </dl>

<p>
<dl compact="compact" class="seetitle">
    <dt><em class="citetitle"><a href="../inst/inst.html"
        >Installing Python Modules</a></em></dt>
    <dd>An
            ``administrators'' manual which includes information on
            installing modules into an existing Python installation.
            You do not need to be a Python programmer to read this
            manual.</dd>
  </dl>
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